Los Angeles history

Mystery photo

Photograph by Don Cormier / Los Angeles TimesIsn't this a great picture of Joe Louis? I found it Saturday while digging through all those boxing photos. OK, who's the brunette?

Jane Russell? (Chris Morales). Bingo! OK, what's the occasion?

Some kind of adoption event? (Barbara Bassett). Absolutely right. Louis and Russell (a longtime adoption advocate), along with athletes Johnny Roseboro, Kenny Washington and Tommy Davis attended Baby Day in the Board of Supervisors' hearing room, Oct. 18, 1961, for the beginning of what was called Negro Adoption Week. County Supervisor Ernest E. Debs, who was an adoptive parent, noted that there were 100 African American children available for adoption in Los Angeles County and suggested the slogan: "A Happy Home for Every Child Before Christmas."